Rotary head tunneling machine having oppositely rotating head portions



1956 J. 5. ROBBINS 2,76

ROTARY HEAD TUNNEZLING MACHINE HAVING OPPOSITELY ROTATING HEAD PORTIONS Filed April 25, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l R. James S. Robbins J N N aafji q W A 7' TORNEY Oct. 16, 1956 J. s. ROBBINS 2,766,978 ROTARY HEAD TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING OPPOSITELY ROTATING HEAD PORTIONS Filed April 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 5 F 93 9.3 i I I 96 50 93 96 9a A r TOQNE v Oct. 16, 1956 J. s. ROBBINS 2,765,978

ROTARY HEAD TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING OPPOSITELY ROTATING HEAD PORTIQNS Filed April 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

BY James S. Robbins A T TORNE Y United States Patent ROTARY HEAD TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING OPPOSITELY ROTATING HEAD PORTIONS James '5. Robbins, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 25, 1955!, Serial No. 503,702

8 Claims. (Cl. 2627) This invention relates to improvements in tunneling machines of the rotary cutter head type, and has for its principal object to provide a more efiicient machine of this character.

More particularly, the invention relates to tunneling machines adapted for cutting large bores, wherein certain special problems of structural design are encountered because of the magnitude of the machine.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

*Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing the front end of a tunneling machine constructed in accordance with the invention, with certain parts broken away and other parts shown in section.

Figure 2 is a front face view of the machine, as it would appear in a tunnel.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken generally on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the machine has as its principal elements a main frame or jumbo 21 having a cutting head at its forward end, indicated generally at 22. For the present description, that part of the machine behind the juncture line 19 (Figure 1) is the jumbo 21; ahead of it is the cutter head 22 and the structural work supporting it on the jumbo. The cutter head itself consists of a circular'inner cutter member 23 surrounded by an outer cutter member 24, which cutter members are arranged for rotation in opposite directions to neutralize the torque reaction on the jumbo.

As shown in Figure 3, the inner cutter member 23 consists essentially of a double-walled disc 231, including front and'back circular walls 231:: and 231b. Inset in the front face, and protruding forwardly therefrom, are three radially extending cutter arms 232 each carrying a radial alignment of kerf-cutting bits or tools 234 and corebreaking rollers 236 which form the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 473,847, filed December 8, 1954. At the center of the inner head 23 is a pilot burster cone 233 and other radially disposed core breaking rollers 235 which form the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 475,791, filed December 16, 1954. Details of construction of said kerf cutting bits, core-breaking rollers and pilot cone need not be further shown nor described herein.

Each inner cutter arm 232 comprises a front wall 26 and a rear wall 27 connected at their outer edges by an angular cap piece 28 and at their center by a hollow sleeve 29. Each arm 232 has an outer section 30 which is removable to reduce the overall diameter when required for backing out of a tunnel in which steel ribbing and concrete lining has been set. The sleeve 29 has flanges 31 and 32, welded to the front and rear walls 26 and 27, respectively. The sleeve 29 is mounted on a hollow shaft 33 projecting rearwardly therefrom and having a collar 34 welded thereon. Cap screws 36 extend through drilled holes in the collar 34 into tapped 2,766,978 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 holes in the flange 32 to secure shaft 33 to the inner head portion 23.

The rear portion of shaft 33 is rotatably journaled in a pair of bushings 38, 38 in a journal bearing 37. Said bearing is supported on the framing mounted on the front of the jumbo, as by a plurality of radially extending struts 381 which are welded to a ring-like section 51 which will be described subsequently. A thrust bearing 41 takes thrust against the journal bearing 38 from the collar 34. The rear end of shaft 33 may be suitably secured against endwise movement relative to the bearing 37, as by a washer 42, spacer 43 and a lock nut 44 threaded on said shaft.

The outer cutter member 24 consists essentially of a bearing and drive ring 45 disposed rearwardly adjacent the outer rim of the disc 231 of the inner cutter member 23, and having a plurality of radially extending cutter arms 451, herein six in number, projecting therefrom in forwardly :oifset relation immediately beyond the ends of the cutter arms 232, so that their front faces 452 are substantially in the same vertical plane as the front faces of said cutter arms 232 on the inner cutter member 23 (see Figures 1 and 3). These cutter arms 451 have a plurality of kerf cutting bits 454 and core-breaking rollers 456 on their front faces, similar to the bits 234 and rollers 236 on the cutter arms 232, as previously mentioned, except that the bits and rollers are disposed for cutting in the opposite direction, as the cutter head member 24 is rotated in the direction opposite to the inner head member 23, as will presently be described. 2

As shown in Figure 3, the thrust on the outer cutter member 24 is transmitted to the jumbo 21 by a plurality of tapered rollers 48 in brackets 49 spaced circumferentially about the drive ring 45 and having rolling engagement with a ring-like section 51 forming part of the cutter head framing mounted on the jumbo 21. A plurality of rollers 52 on brackets 53 are mounted on a rearwardlyv projecting flange portion 456 of drive ring 45, in rolling engagement with the inner face of the supporting frame ring 51. The inner cutter member 23 has a plurality of tapered rollers 46 on brackets 47 mounted in spaced rela-. tion about the rear face of said inner cutter head in rolling engagement with the front face of the drive ring 45 of the outer cutter member 24. V

Each of the cutter arms 451 carries a material-gather ing bucket 54 on its rear face. The leading sides of the buckets 54 are open to enable them to scoop up the loose material which drops to the floor of the tunnel as it is removed from the working face. As each bucket is ro; tated to a position at the top of the cutter head, the loose material therein falls by gravity through a bucket outlet opening 57, thence through a registering opening 58 in the frame ring 51, and down a chute 59 supported below said frame ring into a hopper 61, which may for convenience be of the vibrating type such as that known to the trade as a Syntron feeder. The hopper deposits the loose material upon a belt conveyor 62 extending longitudinally of the jumbo, for deposit upon a suitable connecting system of extensible conveyors (not shown) which may be supported in part on the jumbo or in part from the roof of the tunnel for final discharge in any suitable man'- ner. The material may thus be continuously removed from the tunnel as rapidly as it is dislodged from the working face.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner cutter member 23 has an external ring gear 71 fixed concentrically on its rear wall 231b and 27, and the outer cutter member 24 has an internal ring gear 72 of larger diameter fixed on the inner periphery of its drive ring 45. The external gear 71 and the internal gear 72 are closely spaced axially of one another so that the rear face of the former is substantially coplanar with the front face of the latter,

. chine back when necessary, as, for instance, for

Gears 7i and 72 are driven in opposite directions by a pair of diametrically opposed double pinions 67, 67, each having a first gear 671 in driving engagement with the external gear 71 and a coaxial second gear 672 in driving engagement with the internal gear 72. The axialdisplacement of gears 71 and 72 and the arrangement of driving said gears with the double pinions 67, 67 permits the speed ratio between the inner and outer head members 23 and 24 to be varied merely by changing the diameters of the gears 671 and'672 and correspondingly changing thediameters of the gears 71 and 72. Thus, the speed ratio may be changed to suit variations in the material beingmined or in the size of the tunnel being bored. This arrangement also permits the large expensive gears 71 and 72 to be manufactured and stocked in a size which may be used interchangeably on a wide range of cutter head diameters. With the gearing arrangement and pinion sizes shown in the drawings, the

inner cutter member 23 is driven at a higherspeed than the outer cutter member 24. Each set of pinions 671 and 672'is' keyed to their respective shafts 68, 68 of gear reduction mechanisms 69, 69. Each gear reducing mechanism '69, 69 is driven by a V-belt pulley 73 keyed on a shaft 74 and connected by a V-belt 76 to a pulley 77 on a shaft 78 of a drive motor 79 mounted on the framing between the head and the jumbo.

' The cutter head and jumbo are supported on the tunnel floor by a sliding shoe 81 on which the height of the cutter head and the front end of the jumbo are vertically adjustable by a pair of hydraulic cylinders 82, 82 at opposite sides of the shoe. Longitudinal thrust on the shoe is transmitted through a pair of vertical telescopic guides A third hydraulic cylinder 84 is disposed horizontally within and longitudinally of the shoe 81, adapted to thrust against the tunnel face for. pushing the entire maworkmen to change cutting tools or core breakers.

The shoe 81 is formed with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front face 87 of such shape as to coincide withithe forwardly and outwardly. inclined rear faces of thebuckets 54 on the rotating outer portion 24 of the cutting head. The shoe thus aids in crowding the loose material which is dislodged onto the floor from the work- 7 ing face into the path of the rotating buckets to be picked up by the latter.

An arcuate shield, generally designated 88 is carried by the frame just behind the cutting head and functions .At the bottom, the shield has a plate 511 which is generally in the shape of an inverted U, including an inner section 511a and outer, removable sections 5111). The plate 511 thus is shaped to define a downwardly open, marginal recess 512 for the independently adjustable sup- 7 port shoe 81.

The shield flares forwardly and outwardly to conform "substantially with the back shapes of the rotating buckets 54, and the outer rim of said shield is of almost the same diameter as the maximum cutting diameter of said outer cutter head portion 24, so as to have only a working clearance relative to the tunnel walls.

As shown in Figure 3, a frame 89 for shielding the head from the roof is preferably covered at its top by a number of steel plates 91 (or lengths of railroad rail), spanning arcuate frame members 891 and 892 (connected to the supporting ring 51 by means not shown) so as to .protect the machine and the workment below from roof falls. As the tunnel progresses, the plate 91 may be pushed back into supporting engagement with the ring beams 92 which line and support the tunnel, as will hereinafter be more fully described, and new plates 91 are placed on top of the frame 89. j

The shield 88 is provided with a plurality (inthis case, four) of openings 93 for face rams 96, herein located in transversely spaced relation near the upper part of said shield (see Figures 2 and 3). be projected through these openings 93 to engage and support the working face when the machine is backed off for changing bits or breaker rollers. Each ram 96 passes through a clutch housing 97, supported on intermediate framing. Suitable jack operating mechanism (not shown) is contained within the housing 97 to move the ram 96 forwardly with the necessary force against the working face.

The rearwardly extended portion of each ram 96 is supported on a roller 961 on an upright support 962 fixed to the jumbo, as shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 1, a ring beam assembly jig gen.- erally indicated at 111 is mounted on the jumbo 21 to the rear of the arcuate shielding frame 89 for. the purpose of mechanically assembling and positioning a series of ring beams 92 into supporting engagement with the tunnel walls as rapidly as the tunnel is advanced by the cutting head. Said ring beam assembly jig forms the subject matter of a copending patent application to Robert G. Budd, bearing Serial No. 493,797, filed March 11, 1955, owned by the assignee of the present invention, so further details thereof need not be described herein.

7 The mechanism for advancing the machine is shown in Figure 1, consisting of two hydraulic jacks 126, 126 which are pivotally connected at their cylinder ends to the opposite sides of the longitudinal jumbo side frame members 127, 127. Said cylinders extend along and 'beneath said jumbo frame members, and their piston rods are connected to a sub frame 128 extending transversely between and having its opposite ends guided for slidable movement along saidjumbo frame members.

Pivoted to the opposite ends of the sub frame 128 are rearwardly and outwardly extending pusher legs 133, 133, each having screw jacks 134, 134 threaded in their outer ends. and carrying pivoted shoes 135, 135 at the extreme ends thereof to fit and push against a ring beam 92 fixed in the wall of'the tunnel, as shown in Figure 1. Generally, it will be desirable to back up the ring beams by suitable blocking to carry the backward thrust.

Limited lateral shifting movement of the cutter head while the latter is in operation is afforded by a pair of laterally extending shoes 137, 137 on the outer ends of hydraulic jacks 138, 138 at opposite sides of the intermediate framing closely adjacent the cutter head, as seen in Figure 1. V

In operation, the tunneling machine will be fed into the face by hydraulic pressure applied to the frog-leg jacks 126, 126. Motors 79, 79 will drive 'pinions 67, 67 to produce counter-rotation between the first or outer cutter head portion 24 and the second or inner cutter head portion 23, thereby cutting in the face a series of concentric kerfs 401 which define a corresponding series of'outstan ding concentric cores 482. The latter will be dislodged by the breaker rollers 236 and 456 which operate head-on againstthe face as described in more detail in applicants previously mentioned copending patent applications.

In this operation the combined bearing and drive ring member 45 which is carried. by the outer cutter head 24 will be'driven in one direction by reason of its connection to the internal gear 72, and the external gear 71 will drive the inner cutter head 23 in the opposite direction, for speed differentials as determined by the pinion-gear ratios between the elements 671-71 and 672-i-72. End .and radial thrust loads will be transmitted'from the outer head 24 into the frame ring 51 by bearing member 45 which carries rollers 48 and 52 hearing respectively Rams 96 are adapted to against the front face and the inner surface of the bearing supporting ring 51.

An important part of the present invention resides in the fact that the thrust load from the extreme outer ends of the inner head 23 is transmitted to the framing supported by the jumbo, indirectly, through the bearing member 45. A very rigid, compact arrangement results in combining the support for the rollers 48, 52 with the support for the internal gear 72. Thus the bearing engagement between the front rollers 46 and the bearing member 45 acts in an auxiliary manner to supplement the primary bearing arrangement at the center of the inner head.

In thrusting the head forward into the face, the supporting shoe 81 will be pushed along the floor of the tunnel and, in order to relieve the cylinders 82, 82 of transverse thrust loads, the vertical telescopic guides 83, 83a will be made strong enough to withstand them. Thus, when the machine is moved forward into the face the vertical guides 83, 83a will transmit thrust from the intermediate frame mounted on the jumbo into the shoe; conversely, when the machine is backed away from the face by the reversing cylinder 84, thrust is exerted on the frame from the shoe through the guides 83, 83a.

In feeding the cutter head forwardly into the face, the jacks 126 will transmit thrust into the jumbo 21. Beams 501, 503 and 504, all part of the jumbo, will transmit thrust into a ring 502 and thence, through clamps 505 arranged along line 19, into the bearing supporting ring 51. And, as previously stated, thrust will then be transmitted to the iner and outer cutter heads by hearing rollers 46 and 48 respectively.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame having a center bearing and a concentric circular cutter head supporting ring spaced radially from and in substantially the same transverse plane as said center bearing, an inner cutter head portion having a center shaft journaled in said center bearing, an annular outer cutter head portion surrounding the inner portion with its cutting face substantially in the same plane as the cutting face of said inner cutter head portion, said outer cutter head portion being rotatably mounted on said supporting ring independently of said center bearing, and the inner cutter head portion having end thrust bearing engagement adjacent its periphery with the outer cutter head portion independently of said center bearing, and means offset radially and independent of the center shaft for driving said inner and outer cutter head portions in opposite directions.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the means for driving the inner and outer cutter head portions include an internal gear on the outer cutter head port-ion, an external gear on the inner cutter head portion, and a drive shaft rotatable on an axis between the internal and external gears having pinions thereon engaged respectively with said gears.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the supporting ring is disposed radially inwardly of the outer periphery of the inner cutter head portion, and the outer head portion has an inwardly extending annular bearing member having direct bearing engagement with the supporting ring, and also affording direct end thrust bearing support for the periphery of the inner cutter head portion independently of the center bearing.

4. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame, a center bearing, an annular bearing supporting ring carried by the frame in radially spaced relation to and in substantially the same transverse plane as said center bearing, a first cutter carrying head rotatably mounted on said ring coaxially of said center hearing but independently of the latter including a first set of bearing rollers carried by said first head and having bearing engagement with said ring effective to transmit end thrust from the first head into the ring, a second cutter carrying head having a center shaft rotatably mounted in said center bearing coaxially of and within said first head, means offset radially and independent of said center shaft for driving said heads in opposite directions including an internal gear carried by said first head and an external gear carried by said second head, said gears being coaxial and longitudinally spaced, separate pinions respectively engaged with said gears, and power means for driving said pinions, and a second set of bearing rollers carried by said second head adjacent the periphery thereof having bearing en'- gagement with said first head and effective to transmit end thrust from the periphery of the second head to the first head and thence through the supporting ring to the frame independently of said center bearing.

5. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame having a center bearing and a circular supporting ring spaced radially from and concentric with said center bearing, an outer cutter carrying head rotatably mounted on said supporting ring, an inner cutter carrying head having a center shaft rotatably mounted on said center bearing, means offset radially and independent of said center shaft for driving said heads in opposite directions, thrust hearing means between said outer head and said supporting ring effective to transmit end thrust from the outer head into the supporting ring independently of said inner head, radial bearing means between said outer head and said supporting ring efiective to transmit radial loads from the outer head to the supporting ring independently of said center bearing, and auxiliary thrust bearing means between the outer portion of said inner head and the outer head.

6. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame having a cutter head for cutting a bore in advance of the machine, said cutter head comprising a cutting bearing inner portion having a center shaft mounted for rotation on the frame and adapted to cut an inner portion of the tunnel face being worked on, and a rotatable cutter bearing outer portion concentric with and surrounding said inner portion, adapted to cut an outer portion of said face, said outer cutter head portion having a concentric internal gear and the inner cutter head portion having a concentric external gear of substantially less diameter than said internal gear, a power-driven shaft rotatable on an axis between said internal and external gears and offset radially and independent of said center shaft, and gears on said shaft engageable with the internal and external gears for driving the inner portion at higher speed than the outer portion, and in opposite direction thereto.

7. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame having a cutter head for cutting a bore in advance of the machine, said cutter head comprising a cutter bearing inner portion having a center shaft mounted for rotation on the frame and adapted to cut an inner portion of the tunnel face being worked on and a rotatable cutter bearing outer portion adapted to cut an outer portion of said face, said outer cutter head portion having an internal gear concentrically mounted thereon and said inner cutter head portion having an external gear concentrically mounted thereon of substantially less diameter than said internal gear, power-driven gearing for the internal and external gears including a shaft rotatable on an axis between said internal and external gears and offset radially and independent of said center shaft, and separate pinions on said shaft engaging respectively the internal and external gears to drive the outer and inner cutter head portions in opposite directions at different speeds.

8. In a rotary head tunneling machine, a frame having a cutter head for cutting a bore in advance of the machine, said cutter head comprising a cutter bearing inner portion having a center shaft journaled for rotation on the frame and adapted to cut an inner portion of the tunnel face being worked on, and a rotatable cutter bearingaouter portion adapted to 'cut an outer ,por-tion'of said face, said outer cutter head portion having an internal gear concentrically mounted thereon and the inner eutter head portion having an external gear concentrically mounted thereon of less diameter than said internal gear, said internal and external gears being spaced axially of one another, and mea ns for counter-rotatably driving said head portions including a drive shaft rotatable on an axis between said gears and offset radially and independent of said center shaft, and two axially aligned pinions of different diameters fixed on said drive shaft, each of said pinions being engaged with a separate one of said gears, and power means for driving said shaft to rotate said opinions at the same speed and in the same direction for pinions and their .respectiveigears. V H

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,957 Freda Get. '14, 1924 1,674,870 'Morgan June 26, 1928 l,888,085 Humbel Nov. '15, 1932 1,904,522 Pippin Apr. 18, 1933 2,250,670 Joy July 29, 1941 2,575,975 Robbins Nov. 20,-195 1 2,694,563 Graham Nov. 16,1954 2,719,708 Compton Oct. 4, 1955 

